Clarinet.



m. '69l,646. Patented Jan 2|; 1902. f

' w. MEINL'.

CLARINET.

(Application filed Aug. '7. 1901.)

INVENTOii k/i/Zz'am Mez'nZ WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY NiTED SATES WILLIAM MEINL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLARINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,646, dated January 21,1902.

Application filed August 7, 1901. fierial No. 71,217. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MEINL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manhattan borough, New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clarinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to enable certain fingering to be readily accomplished; and it consists in the novel details of construction set forth in the following specificaalong a: 00, Fig. 1.

tion and claims and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a clarinet embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section Fig. dis a section along y y, Fig. 1, showing the key at this point in its normal or open position. Fig. 5 is a like section, showing this key closed.

The body of the clarinet is shown at A. The key B-natural is shown at 1 and the key O-sharp at 2, the finger-pieces for these keys being shown, respectively, at 3 and 4. The key of G-sharp is shown at 7 and its fingerpiece at 6. The finger-piece 6'or its fingerrest portion is kept clear or out of contact with the other finger-pieces or thepieces 3 and 4, being free from projections, so as to clear keys of B and C sharp. The fingerpiece 6 is fulcrumed at 8 and is normally pressed or held by a spring 9, Fig. 3, onto key 7 to hold the latter closed. This spring 9 in practice was formed as a so-called needle-springthat is, a spring of circular Wire or body in cross-sect-i0nas distinguished from a flat spring. The key 7 is also exposed to the action of a spring 10, also preferably formed as a needle-spring, tending to nor mally open this key, but being of weaker action as compared with the spring of the fin,- ger-piece 6 the latter holds the key closed until such finger-piece is depressed or moved to swing from or release key 7. This key is then held open by its spring and can be trilled either by vibration of finger-piece 6 or by other means, as presently set forth, as this finger-piece while made to press on key 7 for closing the same is not attached or secured to such key. In other words, the finger-piece 6 when moved to clear the key can I be held depressed or stationary While key 7 is vibrated or made to close and open, this finger-piece 6 being free or detached from the key G-sharp.

A hook or trilling-arm 12, extending over the key 7, is secured to or extends from the fulcrum or rock-shaft of the trilling-ring or ring 15-that is, the ring of F-sharp. When the finger-piece 6 is depressed and held in this position, the key 7 opens, and the ring 15 being then vibrated or trilled the trilling-arm or hook 12 will cause the key 7 to trill or vibrate with ring 15.

A rock-shaft for freeing or lifting the fingerpiece of G-sharp is shown at 16, this portion 16 resembling somewhat a rock-shaft and having its arm 16' extended under or engaging finger-piece 6 and its arm 16" extended onto or engaging arm 17 on the fulcrum or rockshaft 18 of key 19'that is, the key of C-natural. This arm-17 is engaged by or rests on arm 20, secured to key G-sharp, and as the finger-piece 4 is depressed to move key 2 the arm 20 moves arm 17, so as to actuate arm 16" or, rather, shaft 16 and cause its arm or lifter 16 to raise or clear the finger-piece 6 to allow the key G- sharp to open, and the key B when moved or closed will actuate the arm 21 of rock-shaft 18, which, as already noted, by arm. 17 engages or moves the shaft 16. Upon moving finger-piece 22 to close key 19 this rockshaft 18 is also moved to actuate lever 16 or free finger-piece 6 to open key 7. This fingerpiece 22 is not mounted on rock-shaft 18, but

on a separate shaft having ahook or arm engaging key 19; but this construction is not novel and forms no part of this invention. The finger-piece 6, it is noticed from this description, has no connection with the fingerpieces 3 and 4, and a connection from O-nat ural to G-sharp is established by lever 16. In case a performer on this instrument wants to trill from B-natural to O-natural it is simply necessary to trill the key B-natural, meanwhile holding the so-called right-hand fingerboard closed and also holding the key 19 or 0 closed. The right -hand finger-board, as

known, comprises the ring 15, with the two rings below the same-that is, the row of three rings between G-sharp and shaft 18. The finger-piece 3 of this key B-natural being clear from other parts or not having to move the finger-piece 6, trilling of this key B-natural is made light or easy. The trill from F-natural to O-sharp in this instrument is effected by trilling the finger-piece, so that this trill is readily executed, the octave-valve meanwhile being left closed. The O-natural key 19 during this trill is held depressed or closed, so that the small finger of the righthand is held stationary during this trill, and the small finger of the left hand during this trill is held raised or inactive or not required to actuate finger-piece 6. The trillfrom O-natural to G- sharp in this instrument is also effected by trilling the finger-piece, so that this trill is also readily executed, the octave-valve being meanwhile held open, such octave-valves being well known in all clarinets.

By placing the G-sharp key '7 on the upper side of the upper joint of the tubular bodyA and also in alinernent with the finger-piece or row comprising ring 15 the settling of moisture or saliva in the said G-sharp key or vent is avoided.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A clarinet having a rock-shaft actuated by the key of C-natural and made to engage the finger-piece of the key G-sharp substantially as described.

2. In a clarinet, the combination with the keys O-natural, G-sharp, B-natural and C- sharp respectively and their finger-pieces, of a connection between the finger-pieces of 0- natural and G-sharp clear of the finger-pieces of B-natural and O-sharp, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. A clarinet having a G-sharp key, a finger-piece therefor, a ring F-sharpprovided with a trillingarm for said key G-sharp, a rock-shaft for freeing or lifting the fingerpiece of G-sharp, and keys B-natural and C- sharp made to actuate said shaft substantially as described.

4. In a clarinet, a G-sharp key, a fingerpiece therefor, a rock-shaft 16, a lifter carried by one end of the rock-shaft and adapted to engage and actuate the finger-piece of the G-sharp key, an arm carried by the other end of said rock-shaft, a key of B-natural, a finger-piece therefor, a key of O-sharp, a rockshaft 18, means carried by the rock-shaft and engaging with the key of O-sharp for actuating said rock-shaft when said key of O-sharp is operated and thereby cause the actuation of the finger-piece of G-sharp, and means carried by the rock-shaft 18 and engaging with the key of B-natural and adapted to actuate the rock-shaft 16 when the key of B-natural is operated, causing thereby the actuation of the finger-piece of G-sharp.

5. In a clarinet, keys of G-sharp and C-natural, separate finger-pieces for the said keys of G-sharp and C-natural, a rock-shaft engaging with and actuated by the finger-piece of C-natural, and a lifting-arm carried by said rock-shaft and engaging with and adapted to actuate the finger-piece of the key of G-sharp when the said rock-shaft is actuated by the finger-piece of C-natural.

6. In a clarinet, keys of G-sharp and O-natural, finger-pieces therefor, a rock-shaft actuated by the finger-piece of C-natural, and a lifting-arm carried by said rock-shaft for actuating the finger-piece of G-sharp when the rock-shaft is actuated by the finger-piece of C-natural.

7. A clarinet having keys G-sharp and 0- natural, finger-pieces for said keys,and a rockshaft actuated by said key of C-natural and provided with a lifting-arm for the fingerpiece of the key G-sharp substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MEINL.

Witnesses:

ADOLPH DEMUTH, WILLIAM DUVAL. 

